Blatter calls crisis meeting, skips 3rd public appearance

ZURICH (AP) — FIFA President Sepp Blatter has chaired an emergency meeting with continental soccer bodies, while staying out of public view himself.

Blatter called together leaders of FIFA’s six regions Thursday as world soccer is rocked by an American federal racketeering case.

FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer says “there was a meeting today with the president with the representatives from the confederations to discuss the current situation.”

Blatter is resisting calls from European soccer body UEFA to postpone Friday’s FIFA presidential election by six months.

He is also avoiding appearing in public.

Blatter missed giving a scheduled speech to open a session of FIFA’s medical conference in a Zurich hotel — his third skipped public appearance within 24 hours.